For Your Entertainment
by Acharya
Summary: Obsession is like love, only dark, twisted, and oh so wrong…so really, nothing like love. Henry loves Ashley but it's the newest abnormal at the Sanctuary that occupies his mind. Slash Henry/OMC, Ashley/Kate
1. Strut

For Your Entertainment

I dun own shit. True Story.

Author: Rochelle B

Fandom: Sanctuary

Spoilers: Everything, not including the 'Kali' stuff.

Pairings: Henry/OMC and Ashley/Kate. I think. Also one sided Henry/Ash and Henry/Kate and some Ashley/OMC for good measure.

Un-beated, but if anyone out there is offering…

Summary: Obsession is like love, only dark, twisted, and oh so wrong…so really, nothing like love. Ashley isn't dead and Henry should be thrilled but the newest Sanctuary resident is all he can think about.

Rating: Nc-17. This will eventually get dirty. Yay.

Warnings: Boys touching Boys, language, violence, blood, kink, and gore. This is a dark story and I'm pretty sure there will not be a happy ending. Oh, and longness. If you aren't prepared for something vaguely epic please exit now.

Notes: I'm not exactly sure what brought this story on, except maybe the brain damaged caused by going through high school almost too drunk to function. You'd think four years later my brain would have pulled itself out of that strange dark place but you'd be wrong.

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Chapter One

Strut

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Henry knew something was up when he when Ashley all but forced him to venture down to the shooting range with her. He used the word 'range' loosely, as it was really more of a room underneath the Sanctuary that Magnus had outfitted for her daughter to do various homicidal things in. She worked out, shot at things, and whatever else was necessary for her particular brand of field work in that room.

Henry chose to stay as far away from it as possible unless Ashley asked him to join her. He was, as he'd tried to explain to her on various occasions, a labrat, damn happy to be a labrat, and had no desire to be a Master Monster Hunter like her.

Admittedly knowing how to use a gun had proven helpful on more than one occasion and he supposed it was good that he knew the basics of self-defense but that didn't change the fact that the work he preferred to do had nothing to do with what kind of shape he was in.

Another reason he didn't like to hang out in Ashley's 'Special Place' was how uncomfortable it'd always made him. Getting hot and sweaty with Ashley while she kicked his ass was just awkward. Add that awkwardness to the fact that the room was covered in her scent, a scent that had used to drive him almost out of his mind, and it was just a recipe for disaster.

Ashley more or less seemed to get he wasn't up for her band of fun and so it was a surprise when he'd stumbled out his room around noon and found the blond waiting right outside of his door, practically vibrating with energy.

When he said vibrating he meant it. For whatever reason when she got overly anxious or agitated it caused her teleporting abilities to act up, making it look like she was flickering in and out of existence while dark red energy swirled around her body. It was a crazy thing to witness and the primary reason he'd agreed to spend his afternoon with her and forgo the work he had.

He sighed and slid the empty clip out of the gun he was using to shoot at paper targets with Ashley. Her shoots were perfect, all head or heart shots, and his were slightly less so. Normally she'd be teasing him and letting him know that this was exactly why he needed the practice but today she was quiet.

It was starting to creep Henry out.

Ashley squeezed off two more shots then lowered her arm. She looked down at the gun for a long moment then set it on the small table between them. Henry did the same, feeling a shift in the air around them. He hated that, the way he could literally feel a dark kind of energy building when they were close to each other.

Ashley had been back for almost four months but for that first painfully long month she hadn't been anything close to her old self. She was quiet, closed off…haunted. They hadn't known what had happened, where she had been, or what had lead to her showing up on their doorstep soaked all the way through and in a catatonic state and she sure as hell hadn't been talking about it.

She still didn't talk about it. Henry knew it bother the others, especially Will strangely enough. Henry imagined her silence offended his inner, or not so inner, shrink.

She was more like herself now, but not really. She pretended of course but Henry could see through her like she was made of glass. Ashley was a lot of things to him, a series of strange and disturbing contradictions really. She was like his younger sister, one of his best friends, and the girl he'd always known he couldn't have all in one neat package.

It was safe to say he knew her pretty well.

Even if he hadn't known her and didn't notice the dark thoughtful looks when she thought no one was looking, the new sense of electric tension between them made it clear she'd come back changed. The beast inside of him had been possessive of Ashley, in that it thought of her as family, and so Henry had always been hyper aware or her and her moods. Now it was terrified of her, retreating to the furthest corner of Henry's mind whenever she was around. Wherever she'd been she'd brought back something that made Henry's hair stand on end and set his teeth on edge.

He didn't like the feeling but, like so much else in his life it was beyond his control; yet another barrier between the two of them, as if he actually needed any more.

He was better at controlling himself and found he could even use the beast if he really put his mind to it, but that didn't change the fact that he had an animal lurking beneath his skin and waiting to escape the moment he let his guard down. No amount of meditation or medication could change what he was or what Ashley had become.

They could be friends, family, but Henry knew that was as far as it would ever go. The wolf would never allow it; it would pretend to be compliant and allow itself to be used but Henry knew it was a tenuous relationship at best. If he pushed it too far or tried to force too much he knew there would be a struggle and he wasn't positive he would win.

Everyday the wolf seemed to grow, becoming a stronger presence in Henry's mind. It was still content to lurk in the back and watch but who knew how long that would last.

"Do you remember my friend Blair?" Ashley asked suddenly, jarring him from his thoughts. She plucked the ear plugs she used to muffle the sounds of their shots out of her ears as she spoke. Henry had them in as well, but they did little considering his sensitive hearing.

"I guess." He said slowly, not wanting to give away how much hearing her mention the name made his teeth itch.

Henry has met Blair Logan two times over the years. He knew Blair's family was friends of Magnus's and very active in the Abnormal community, going so far as to have founded a small community in Arizona where Abnormals and their families could live. Magnus had sent Ashley there every year over the summer to give her a chance to socialize with the children there, an activity that had never interested Henry.

It probably wouldn't have interested Ashley either, as she wasn't the most social person in the world, if not for the fact she'd found a friend in Blair. They had been close and something about that had always rubbed Henry the wrong way. He knew, logically, that it was his jealously that had made him hate Blair

before they'd even met, but that did nothing to change the fact that he'd secretly harbored a serious grudge.

The first time they'd met was Ashley's sixteenth birthday. Blair had been little more than a skinny blond kid, slightly shorter than Ashley, with awkwardly big hands and feet and a voice so quiet Henry had to strain to hear anything he said. Henry really hadn't seen anything about him that would make Ashley, as loud and forceful as she was, want to be around him.

He'd understood their friendship even less when he's stumbled in on a heated embrace, a mix of pale skin, lips, and teeth that had left Henry angry and strangely breathlessly. He remembered the way the teens had stumbled away from each other, a blush coloring the boy while Ashley glared at Henry like she wanted to shoot him.

The next time he'd seen Blair had been the day after Ashley's memorial. It had been a brief encounter; he'd walked in to Magnus's office to find her staring down the younger man, a strange sad silence hanging between them. Henry's arrival had seemed to startle them both. Blair had glanced at him, face hidden by the hood of his jacket save for dark eyes brimming with wetness, before shoving his hands into his pockets and storming out of the room.

Magnus had looked not just said but defeated as well. Henry had watched her walk over to the window, looking as if she now longer saw him, and stare out. He'd stayed for a moment then left, unable to stand the look on her face.

Even after Ashley had come back to them there hadn't been a mention of him, which may have been strange if Henry had ever stopped to think about it.

He hadn't though. Life hadn't calmed down just because Ashley had come back from the dead, or wherever she'd been.

"Mom is bringing him up from Arizona." Ashley looked at him, eyes reflecting her unease.

Henry didn't get it. People came and went every day. "Okay. And?"

Her fingers found their way into her hair and began to twist a strand around. "There's been some stuff going on. People have gone missing and some people thing a demon or monster has been taking them. A monster with wings." Ashley added the last part almost hesitantly, as if worried about what Henry would say.

She didn't have to worry; Henry honestly didn't have any thoughts worth sharing on the matter. He could only think of the boy with the big hands and feet who didn't look like he was coordinated enough to walk let alone fly into the night after kidnapping people.

"There's no proof that it's him, or that it's anything at all, so Mom's keeping it quiet while she investigates. She told Will and me, of course, and now I'm telling you." Her hands fell to her side abruptly

The skin between Ashley's eyes wrinkled with the intensity of her frown. The tension between them was growing and the wolf was nervous. Henry had an image of the animal pacing with agitation and could feel it starting to press against his mind. It itched, like a million bugs walking around underneath his skin.

"We've been talking. Email mostly, but I haven't told mom." She said finally, the tell-tale sound of guilt in her voice. "He's different than he was before, but I don't think he'd ever hurt anybody."

Henry wanted to walk away, climb back into bed, and start his day over. Ashley was going to ask for his help, which wasn't an unheard of event: he was, after all, her older brother in every way except genetically. They'd grown up together, knew each other better than most could ever hope to, and in their own ways they'd always been there for each other as best they could.

That was what family was for after all.

Henry was beginning to realize he'd been very fucked up long before he'd started transforming into a big hairy wolf-like creature.

"What do you need me to do?"

She beamed at him and once again he felt the air around them change, this time warming up and becoming lighter. "Just be nice. Just…you're the only person who hasn't asked me any questions about where I was or what happened. That means a lot to me."

Henry wanted to tell her that he didn't care where she'd been, so long as she was here now, but he just nodded. "I can do that."

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Yes. Well. There you go.


	2. Wattya Want From Me?

For Your Entertainment

Author: Rochelle B

Fandom: Sanctuary

Pairings: Henry/OMC and Ashley/Kate. I think. Also one sided Henry/Ash and Henry/Kate and some Ashley/OMC for good measure.

Summary: Obsession is like love, only dark, twisted, and oh so wrong…so really, nothing like love. Henry loves Ashley but it's the newest abnormal at the Sanctuary that occupies his mind.

Rating: Nc-17. This will eventually get dirty. Yay.

Warnings: Boys touching Boys, language, violence, blood, kink, and gore. Oh, and longness. If you aren't prepared for something vaguely epic please exit now.

Notes: This was originally the first chapter but then I decided that it worked better as the second. …cause I said.

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Chapter Two

Wattya Want From Me

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Magnus looked at the house in front of her, taking a moment to let the memories it held wash over her before getting out of her car. She remembered when she'd helped Kurt Harrison establish this community, a safe haven for Abnormals who didn't like the confinement of the Sanctuaries, over ninety years ago. It had passed to his son and then his granddaughter in that time and had grown to a compound with over 50 buildings and 600 people.

She'd watched Kurt grow older and start a family and then watched his children have children. She'd spoken at Kurt's funeral, not able to shed a tear because of how used to these events she'd become.

She could also recall the day Kurt's granddaughter, Mercedes, had married Lucius Logan in front of this very house. Magnus had introduced the two in London, thinking the idealistic Abnormal advocate would find her match in the quieter, but no less dedicated, professor. She'd been right and together they'd helped many Abnormal families have something resembling a normal life.

She'd considered the couple her friends and thought of their son as an extension of her family, much like she thought of Henry.

"Helen." Mercedes was sitting on a whicker chair in front of the house, bathed in light coming from the front door. She was as beautiful as Magnus remembered: tall and lean with dark caramel colored skin and deep brown eyes. She must have been almost forty-five now and it was starting to show; her face was lined and her dark brown curls were streaked with gray.

"I'm glad you could come out on such short notice."

"Of course." She waved off the younger woman's words and walked towards her. There was another chair but Magnus ignored it, opting to stand beside Mercedes instead. "How is he?"

Mercedes was quiet for a long moment before shaking her head. "I don't know anymore. He won't even talk to me Magnus. I thought that with Ashley back he would go back to his normal self but it's just getting worse."

Her voice cracked and she bowed her head for a moment, looking as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Magnus' heart ached at the sight; Lucius had been at the Japanese Sanctuary when the Cabal had attacked. He had been one of the casualties, another funeral she'd attended, and since then Mercedes had been left to handle everything on the compound alone.

"I read the reports you sent me."

Mercedes let out a shaky breath and then rubbed at her face. "At first it was just some missing livestock from some of the closer ranches. People were reporting a 'Winged Monster' taking off with their animals but I didn't pay it any attention. People see strange things late at night, especially in the desert. Then some teenagers went missing, but it wasn't like they were all from nearby…one was in New Mexico! Sometimes kids run away and Blair doesn't ever stay out all night." She paused and looked up, eyes wet. "I sound stupid."

"No." Magnus brushed a strand of hair out of Mercedes' face. She didn't say it but she understood; it was much easier to bury your rational mind than it was to believe that your own child was lost to you.

"I do." Her lips quirked into a wan smile. "I've seen so many violent Abnormals but…I wouldn't have called you if not for the other families. They're scared; scared of him and scared that someone might come and look into the ranch."

Magnus could see where the residents would be afraid. They lived in relative peace with the surrounding towns because most believed them to be some kind of strange New-Age religious cult. They rarely associated with anyone, except to pick up supplies, but the separateness they coveted could easily backfire. People tended to mistrust what they didn't know and it would only be a matter of time before suspicion would turn in their direction.

Five teenagers had gone missing in the last three months, all seeming to vanish from their rooms at night without a trace. Some of the more suspicious people were already claiming that the monster that had been making off with their livestock was now making off with their children. No one was taking such a thought seriously.

Yet.

"I'm afraid Helen. I look at him sometimes and it's like I don't even know him. My Blair couldn't hurt a fly but sometimes…"

Magnus nodded absently, thinking about the vanishings. She hadn't begun to really look into the disappearances yet, wanting to remove Mercedes' son from the equation first. If he was really involved moving him to the Sanctuary and containing him was the safest thing and if he wasn't that would also be cleared up if people continued to vanish.

"He's inside. He says he isn't going." The younger woman laughed and it sounded almost genuine. "I thought he was going to throw a tantrum when I told him you were on your way."

Magnus smiled softly and, taking a moment to lay a hand on her friend's shoulder, headed for the house. It was much cooler inside, away from the mid-summer heat, and that was where Blair would be. She walked down the hall to the kitchen, knowing that's where the boy would be. For ninety years the kitchen had been the center of family activity and she imagined that would always be true.

He was bent over, examining the contents of the refrigerator when she walked in. He stood and faced her, a pointedly sour expression on his face.

"You're wasting your time." His voice was a languid rasp, the voice of a boy who'd secretly smoked since he was twelve, touched with a southern accent. "I'm not going."

"So I've heard."

"I mean it." He cut an impressive figure, 6'6" if not taller and built of lean muscle. If she'd been anyone else it might had been intimidating.

Helen Magnus wasn't someone who was easily frightened however and so she smiled easily and moved deeper into the kitchen. He sighed and, with an air of annoyance perfected in his teenage years, sat down on one of the stools arranged around the kitchen island. She sat across from him, allowing herself a moment to take in the deep purple eyes and out of control golden-red hair. Her hands found one of his and covered it, somewhat amused at how large it was in comparison to her own.

She'd known him since his infanthood, and it was so strange to see him growing and changing in what felt like a blink of an eyes. It was scary, in a way, how old he was becoming. He and Ashley were so close in age and it seemed like only a few moments ago she'd brought her daughter to Arizona to see how she would bond with the Logan's son, curious to see if anything could bring the boy out of his shell.

He hadn't spoken a word until he was three, inspired by Ashley's constant chattering.

He signed again but didn't draw his hand back. "Magnus. I am not going back with you. Mom needs me here, no matter what she thinks."

"Your mother believes time away will be good for you." Magnus watched his eyes dart around the kitchen. It was a large but homey affair, with blue and cream flowered wall paper on the walls, towels hanging in the appropriate places, and white curtains, cute eyelets dotting the bottom, hanging from the windows.

They looked out of place in the cheerful room, him a tall inhuman figure and her with her tight black clothing and holstered guns.

His expression was a mixture of skepticism and smugness. "My mother thinks I've lost my shit and am going around eating livestock, defiling helpless virgins, and killing people under the full moon. It is amazing how Catholic people can get sometimes."

She arched an eyebrow. "I don't recall anything about helpless virgins."

"Ah. Must be wishful thinking then." His eyes, cold claret pools, sparked with a hint of humor. "Besides, my mother also thinks that Dad died because of you. How much stock do you think I should put into her opinion?"

Magnus smiled again, not sure what to make of that question. He'd once been an open and honest child, happy to please and easy to smile, the opposite of her own surly and often foul tempered (and mouthed) daughter. She couldn't imagine him killing a person, or animals, but she also knew that were many things that existed outside of even her own imagination. People could change in the blink of an eye for seemingly no reason at all. When one added legitimate stressors and unknown biology and psychology it was impossible to say what changes a person might undergo.

Many of the people in Magnus' life were proof of that.

Maybe he had become a violent killer since they'd last spoken or maybe there was something else at work but it hardly mattered. His development, which had stalled around puberty, had been jump started recently. Mercedes had been to a point where even she couldn't deny he was changing and she wasn't sure what he was becoming.

The Logan's had, unbeknownst to most, found Blair on their doorstep twenty-two years ago. He'd been little more than an infant, normal save the tiny bat-like wings protruding from his back. It had been the first time Magnus had encountered a winged creature so close to human; there were lots of non-human species with wings but none that looked like Blair. Mercedes had fallen in love the moment she laid eyes on the baby and claimed him as her own.

Magnus had kept an eye on the boy's development but other than a few oddities he'd been…well almost boring. The wings had grown with him and had spanned almost thirteen feet at his last physical and he'd undergone a sudden growth spurt when he hit twenty-one, which had been unexpected because he'd been almost tiny his entire life but not alarming by any means.

It wasn't his appearance that worried his mother, it was his personality. As much as she loved Blair when it was all stripped away he was an unknown creature; an unknown creature with habits, needs, and instincts they were completely unaware of.

"You know I'll being you back one way or another?" She asked finally. Magnus didn't want to bring him back by force but that hadn't stopped her from bringing her tranquilizer gun and a large cage with her. "I'm only asking because I'd hate to hurt you to bring you back."

He tilted his head to the side, a frown working over his feature. "I don't want to fight Magnus. I just want to be left alone; I've told you that. I am not interested in the Sanctuary Network or being tucked away in your castle."

"The situation has changed." Magnus starred up at him, searching his gaze for the agreeable boy he'd once been. He sighed and looked away. "I honestly don't know why you're resisting so much; you have to know this is the best course of action right now."

"My mom needs me here. With Dad gone and Teresa at school there's no one to help out here." His voice had lost its edge and was asking for Magnus' understanding instead.

In that moment she knew what needed to be said to end this conversation and bring the younger man back with her willingly. If Blair was staying for his mother, and not because he was kidnapping people and maiming animals, there was only one thing that would make him leave her.

"Ashley would like to see you." He snatched his hand away as if the contact burned him and though she allowed him to withdraw physically she continued to speak. "Not that she'd ever say but she is still suffering from what happened when we thought she was gone and she needs you more than ever. You're her best friend Blair; I don't know if she'll be able to fully recover without everyone who cares about her there to help."

The betrayal on his face was as obvious as the tension in his suddenly stiff shoulders. "Magnus-"

"I know she misses you."

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For everyone wondering why Magnus doesn't just ask Blair about his potentially murderous tendencies the answer is simple: Magnus doesn't think he'd tell the truth either way.


	3. Sleep Walker

For Your Entertainment

Author: Rochelle B

Fandom: Sanctuary

Pairings: Henry/OMC and Ashley/Kate. I think. Also one sided Henry/Ash and Henry/Kate and some Ashley/OMC for good measure.

Summary: Obsession is like love, only dark, twisted, and oh so wrong…so really, nothing like love. Henry loves Ashley but it's the newest abnormal at the Sanctuary that occupies his mind.

Rating: Nc-17. This will eventually get dirty. Yay.

Warnings: Boys touching Boys, language, violence, blood, kink, and gore. Oh, and longness. If you aren't prepared for something vaguely epic please exit now.

Notes: Sorry for the break, but I was moving from PA to NC and…it's been an extended event. If I could do it over my ass would have stayed put.

More Notes: This chapter features Henry's other half generally being more intelligent than Henry himself is.

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Chapter Three

Sleep Walker

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Henry leaned back against the van he was using; annoyed for reasons he didn't want to think about but couldn't stop himself from analyzing. It was raining, a light drizzle that was actually felt nice considering the stifling heat that had settled over the city but it was threatening to become more than a drizzle at any moment. A blanket of mist crept over the tarmac, weaving its way over the lights and around the broken down buildings lining the airstrip. It was late, coming up on half past eleven, and instead of being back at the Sanctuary, working, he was outside waiting for the plane containing one Blair Logan to unload.

Ashley and Kate were out, having a late night meeting in some leaky warehouse in some shady area with an equally shady guy concerning some illegal abnormal smuggling. …Actually they were at a coffee shop in the Art District with an old friend of Kate's but imagining something out of a noir film really fit with Henry's overall mood.

Though, if he really thought about it, he supposed standing around an old ramshackle airstrip in the rain waiting for a top secret charter was about as noir as a person could get without wearing a trench coat, a fedora, and being in black and white.

This wasn't one of his typical duties, he usually waited for the abnormals to get to the Sanctuary and helped them get documented and settled in from there, but this was a 'special' case. This abnormal had some serious 'non-normal' aspects but wasn't the sort to be sent across the country in a shipping crate either and Magnus had been adamant that she didn't want a stranger (code for Will) handling this. Though, if Henry really wanted to get into he wasn't much better than a stranger either, but that has been overlooked.

Ashley had wanted to be the one to make this trip, and there had been a moment where she was almost pouting, but Kate's contact had some sort of issues with men. Since Ashley had to accompany Kate, Will had been forced to admit he was the only person left to make this little trip.

He really enjoyed being the last resort.

He glanced at his watch then cast a look at the idling plane. It hand landed a few minutes before and Henry had moved his car from the far edge of the airstrip to a few meters from the plane. While he doubted anyone else was out here, hoping to catch a glimpse of something strange, he didn't want to risk an overly long walk if he could prevent it.

Just because he couldn't imagine someone lurking around didn't mean it wasn't possible. Someone may have been attracted by the plane lights or, even worse, called the police to investigate activity at the abandoned airstrip.

It all sounded very Scooby-Doo when you thought about it like that.

Thunder boomed and lightning pierced the sky in the distance before the sky decided to open up and begin to pour down on him. He tilted his head up and couldn't help but chuckle as the rain swiftly went from a drizzle to pounding rain.

Finally the hatch of the plane opened and dim yellow light spilled out for a moment before being completely blotted out. The darkness stood across the doorway for a moment then dislodged itself from the inside of the plane and headed for the ground. Henry straightened; alarmed for the second it took the figure to hit the ground. He took a step forward, unsure, but a hand was held up, emerging from a swirl of blackness, to stop him.

The shadow stood straight and, without so much as a glance backwards, hurried towards the van. As the shadow crossed into the lights of the van he could see the figure had a large black blanket thrown over it. The blanket was tossed back as the shadow came to a stop a foot or so away from Henry, staring down at him with eyes that seemed to glow with refracted light.

"Blair?"

The younger man nodded, head tilting slightly. "Henry, right? Ashley's brother. She said you'd be the one to meet me."

Henry nodded absently, wondering why everyone in the world seemed to be so much taller than him. And Blair wasn't just a little bit taller; the younger man all but towered over him. He was thin with pale white, almost translucent, skin and pale red hair that was beginning to cling to his skull in sodden curls. He didn't really look anything like the awkward teenager Henry had been introduced to before, and even had the nerve to be a touch on the handsome side, with full pink lips and bluish purple eyes.

Life truly was cruel.

While he understood that there was no competition between them, for various reasons including the fact Ashley would hate to be considered anyone's 'prize' to be won, he couldn't help but want to be able to say that he was clearly the more attractive choice, and before he could have said that.

Now he wasn't so sure.

Blair graced him with an unsure smile then held out his hand. Henry stared at it for a second, tempted to reject the friendly gesture but managing to quell the urge. Jealously was a terrible thing when you got down to it and Henry liked to think he was in control of not only his inner animal but the less stellar facets of his human side as well.

Besides, it wasn't like the younger man had any idea Henry had spent years silently cursing his existence.

He took Blair's hand, intending to shake it quickly and then suggest they get the hell out of the downpour, but he found all words stolen from him as a bolt of static like energy went screaming up his arm, burning like everything under his skin had been set aflame.

The wolf stirred then surged to the forefront with force Henry didn't have a chance to hold it back. He wasn't prepared for a full on assault on the bars of the cage he kept his beast in and had no hope of regaining control until it was too late.

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He had the man by the throat and was straddling him to keep him pinned to the ground; his teeth were bared and growing longer by the second though he opted to keep his human skin. He didn't care for the fragile form but there were moments when it was useful and times when a situation didn't warrant the effort it took to change. This was one of the latter.

He was more adept at the change than his human, able to control it when he wanted. He'd had a lot of practice when the human's brain was sleeping; his other half seemed to think that when his mind was asleep his body had to follow suit but that couldn't have been further from the case.

He embraced his other half, foolish and stupid as his human was, and tried to keep to the dark shadows of their combined mind unless there was need for him. The human liked to believe he was the dominate mind and that there was simply a controllable interloper in his territory, a dumb beast, but that was very far from the truth. He knew everything Henry knew and many things he did not, and that was what made him so able to protect his weaker half.

Blair turned his head to the side, perhaps trying to avoid the rain pounding down around them, and exposed the smooth plane of his neck, so pale he could see the blue of his veins straining underneath. He felt something twist in his chest, a cold dark tendril winding its way around his heart, and he had to make an effort to bite back a howl.

The redhead was affecting him and he didn't like it.

He had been on alert the moment this…thing had approached them and when the pain had hit he'd known he needed to come to the surface. His human was tucked away safely, though dazed by the forceful removal from control, and he intended to make sure that he remained safe.

The other man's breath came out in harsh pants and when he leaned in, nostrils flaring as he inhaled the redhead's scent, Blair's heart stuttered.

This man was no more human than he but that much had been obvious the moment he got close enough to take his scent. Human looking on the surface, yes, but his scent was something else completely. On top there was the desert, sunshine, and something distinctly feminine and human that clung like a thick perfume, but it was what was under that that interested him. Dank earth, forest, and musk swirled with the smell of old blood, sweat, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Strange smells, like no creature he'd encountered before, and he and Henry had encountered a great many creatures. It excited him in a way; he hadn't had something truly interesting cross his path since Ashley had returned and he couldn't tolerate too much time spent with her.

He still cared for her, she was part of his pack and always would be, but she'd come back twisted and smelling sour like rotting flesh. The mating that Henry still hoped for had always been unlikely but now it was impossible; whatever she'd turned in to was simply too…'Other' for him to allow his human to be with her. She wasn't of this world, a strange creature that didn't belong, and there was no way around that.

He shook the thoughts of Ashley away, returning to the mystery at hand. Henry had shaken off the daze and was fussing himself to distraction in their brain, imaging himself locked away in the cage he like to think he kept the Beast locked away in. There was no cage of course, just Henry's wildly overactive imagination, but he would have to withdraw soon. If he exposed that he could wrest and keep control whenever he wanted Henry would take to trying to repress him with mind slowing drugs again. It had been months since Henry had come to understand there was no ridding himself of the wolf and he loathed the idea of going back to those times.

Henry was becoming frantic, pounding against the bars of the cell he'd created.

He snorted, amused with his human in spite of himself, and Blair's eyes narrowed in baleful confusion, a flash of boldness in those murky depths.

"Is this an initiation sort of thing?"

He hesitated for a moment, head cocking in consideration. He'd never spoken to those around Henry, fearing they'd sense the difference and become aware of the fact he was more than a mindless presence who overtook their friend occasionally. If they realized the Beast was more than an animal who knew what sort of chaos would erupt.

Humans, even the ones he considered pack, were such frail easily frightened things. An animal lurking inside of Henry was one thing, but if they learned he could think, plan, and observe…well. Still, something in those purplish eyes, glowing as bright as headlights, and the way he hadn't fought but instead seemed almost submissive thrilled him. He'd shown his neck to a wolf and that display was worming its way into his mind and making it hard to think.

He shut Henry out of their senses, something he normally only attempted when the other man was asleep and he felt the urge to roam. Henry was plunged into total unawareness, unable to see, smell, feel, or hear anything.

He leaned in again, inhaling deeply, then drew his tongue over a strip of skin exposed along Blair's collar bone. He felt the sharp intake of breathe and the sudden rigidness in the body underneath him, but mostly he tasted the sharp salty taste of skin.

He didn't get many opportunities to touch and taste others, which was a pity. Henry was something of a monk, fearing a loss of control, and he tried to refrain from using their body for liaisons Henry wouldn't approve of. It'd happened a few times, when the urge to lose himself in another was too much to ignore. The abnormal community was both large and small at once; lying with another always carried the risk of Henry crossing paths with one of his partners; keeping his sexual encounters far and few between was a must.

He murmured against the other man's neck, a surge of delight running through him. It had been a very long time.

"Do you show your neck to everybody?"

00000


End file.
